Guildford

Guildford's population grew in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. At the same time there were changes in religion and housing tenure.

The population reached nearly 140,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Guildford increased by 5.8%, from just under 130,000 to 137,000.

The addition of just under 7,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Guildford was home to, on average, 3.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Guildford

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Guildford increased by one year, from 37 to 38 years.

This affluent suburban area had a lower average age than the South East and became slightly younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 2,600 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 1,000.

About 10% of people in Guildford are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Guildford by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people living alone

Guildford saw the South East's second-largest fall in the proportion of one-person households.

In 2011, just over one in four (27%) households in Guildford had only one person, compared with 29% in 2001. The percentage with an unmarried couple increased from 8.2% to 9.3%.

Across the region, only Brighton and Hove saw a greater fall in the proportion of one-person households (from 39% to 36%).

The percentage of households with only one person was lower than across the South East

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Guildford

The number of people in Guildford that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 22,000 in 2001 to just over 38,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 28% of the local population.

The percentage increased at a similar rate to the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%), but at a faster rate than the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Guildford that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 95,000 in 2001 to about 83,000 in 2011 (from 74% to 60%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just under 9,300 to just under 11,000 (from 7.2% to 7.7%).

Just over 2,700 people (0.9%) said they were Muslim, up from about 1,100 in 2001 (2.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Guildford increased by 11 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Guildford by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Guildford

The percentage of Guildford residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 7.2% to 6.7% between the last two censuses.

The proportion who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 2.0%, while the percentage of Guildford residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 91% to 91%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 6.8% in 2001 to 6.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Guildford, but at a slower rate than in nearby Rushmoor.

In Guildford, the proportion of private renting increased from 11% in 2001 to 16% in 2011. During the same period, the

Across the South East, the share of privately rented homes increased from 10% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Guildford increased from 12% to 13%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 73% to 69%.

Private renting in Guildford increased by 4.5 percentage points

Percentage of households in Guildford, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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